Liam fkoger



JUIIB 3, 1919.

ETS-SHEET 1.

L. V. W. FROGER.

SHEET ANCHOR.

APPLICATIO Patented 4 SHE N FILED MAR. 26.1913.

L. V. W. FROGER.

SHEET ANCHOR. APPLlcAlN FILED MAR. 26.1918.

Patented June 3, 1919.

SHEET 2.

4 SHEETS- B@ WMM l ATTORNEY L. v. w. FROGER.,

SHEET ANCHOR.

APPLvlcATioN man MAR. 26. \91s.

yPatented June 3,1919. 4 SHEETS-SHEET a.

[NVE/VWF] [au/2li 2170767.

y WQ@ @MM ATTU F1 N EY L. V. W. FROGER.

SHEET ANCHOR.

APPLICAfTlQN FILED MAR. l26. i918.

Patented June 3, 1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

ms mmms persas cal, iwonsumo.. msmmzmu. n. a

* AUNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE. l

LOUIS VICTOR WILLIAM FROGER, .OF LORIENT, FRANCE.

SHEET-ANCHOR.

Application filed March 26, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS VICTOR WIL- LIAM FROGER, citizen of theRepublic vof France, and resident of Lorient, France, (post-oiiceaddress 26 Rue Victor Hugo,) have invented a new and usefulSheet-Anchor, which improvement is fully set forth in the followingspecification.

This invention relates to sheet anchors; and it resides in the provisionof an improved device of the class or character indicated which isconstructed in such a way as to overcome the objectionable tendency ofthe ordinary anchor to turn in its bed simultaneously with the ship andthus dig funnelshaped holes which reduce its grip upon the bottom andwhich is also so constructed that it tends to assume an upright positionupon striking the bottom. Other objects and advantages will appear asthe description of the invention proceeds.

The accompanying drawings show one embodiment of the invention, andtherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical section of the improvedV anchor, taken on lineA-B, Fig. 2;

YF ig. 2 is a horizontal section on line C-D, Fig. 1;

Fig. v3 is a'detail elevation of the central shank of the anchor;

Fig. L is a plan view of the anchor;

Fig. 5 is aY section on line E-F, Fig. 2, showing one of the valves andits mounting;

Figs. 6 and 7 are, respectively,a diagrammatic side elevation and a planview, showing the connection between the anchor and a ship;

Fig. 8 shows the anchor in place in its bed;

Fig. 9 shows the anchor ready to be dropped into the sea;

Fig. 10 shows the anchor suspended by its double cable passing over awindlass; and

Fig. l1 is a section through the side of the ship.

The improved anchor shown in said drawings comprises, essentially, ametal core or body 1 which, in order to bring the center of gravity ofthe anchor as close as possible to the plane of its base, is given afrustoconical or frusto-pyramidal shape, the dimen- Specicaton ofLetters Patent.

Patented June 3,1919.

serial No. 224,831.

sions of the core being determined. by the displacement of theparticular ship with which it is to be used.` The core or body isprovided with an axial recess, the bottom wall of which is formed by ametal web or plug 2, that serves to ballast the Vcore and may be castwith the same; and into this recess there may be inserted, if consideredadvisable, a filling plugl 3, preferablyV constructed of cement.

Below the web2 is provided a recess 4, which opens through the baseofthe core to facilitate the sinking of the anchor to the bottom of thesea, two'cylindrical vent holes 5 being formed through the parts 2 and 3and the head-plate 14 (hereinafter more particularly described) toenable the air trapped and compressed in the recess 4 to be discharged.

VThe core is provided along its perimetric surface withlaterally-projecting ribs 6, preferably eight in number, whichA extendfrom top to bottom thereof and are designed to take the place of theiukes of the ordinary anchor. These `ribs or flukes form dihedral angleswith respect to the core, and are of counterpart construction andequidistantly arranged, their width gradually decreasing from bottom totop, as will be understood from Figs. l and 2. Between each pair offlules and close to the base .of the core, there is cast a projectingweb or lug 7 providing a seat whereon a flap valve 10 is adapted torest, said valve being hinged or pivoted by ymea-ns of a pair of rings8, to a small, horizontal spindle 11 which bridges eoY the'spacebetween, and .is disposed adj acent the outer edges of,.said flukes,(Figs. 1, 2 and 5). lThe angular or vertical movements of the valves arelimited byV suitable stops l9 to about 870. At the moment when theincrease the opposition surface of the an-V chor, when the latter isoccupying a hori- Zontal position, and bvl their combinedV weight serveto lower still further the center of gravity of the-anchor, owing towhich the said anchor is enabled to assume automatically a verticalposition in a friable bottom.

The head-plate 14, previously referred to rests upon the top face of thecore, as will be understood, and is secured thereto, and to the fillingvplug 3, respectively, by mea-ns of screws or pins 15 and 12, though itmay be soldered to the core, if desired; 1t is preferably circular inshape, and is designed to protect the upper edges of the flukes, as wellas torcover the joint between the plug and the core. The plug 3 hasformed through it an axial bore or passage 13, which may be eithercircular or polygonal in crosssection, and which registers withsimilarlyshaped holes in the head-plate and the web 2, this borereceiving the shank of a bolt 16, whose lower end 16 is swaged orflattened against the under face of said web, while its upper endprojects beyond the head-plate and is formed with an annular enlargementor collar 17 that rests upon said head-plate, the extreme end of thebolt being threaded, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Collar 17 supports aring 18, which lits loosely around the bolt and is held againstdisplacementrby a cap or nut 24, threaded upon the terminal of the boltand secured by a cotter pin 25; said collar being provided with a pairof diametrically-opposite pins or trunnions 19, 'on which are pivotedthe two arms of a fork-shaped shackle 20.

The latter is preferably constructed of two counterpart members, whichare fastened together by a screw 21, the portion 23 of the shacklethrough which the screw passes constituting its stem, as will beunderstood. ln rear of the screw. there is formed through said stem atransverse opening 22, having a straight or flat rear wall and aninwardly-curved front wall (Fig. et), the latter wall serving as a guidefor a short pendant 26, in the nature of a chain, cable or othersuitable flexible element,- which passes loosely through said openingand bears against said wall. Each end of this pendant 26 has connectedto it by a swivel 28 the rear end of an anchoring chain or cable 26',the other end of which is connected in some approved manner with asuitable windlass mechanism, such as that shown in Figs. 8 and 10,mounted on the deck of the ship. The endless flexible operating elementformed by the sections 26 and 26 may be hauled in any desired way bymeans of the windlass; but since this operation forms no part of theactual invention, it has been deemed unnecessary to describe it indetail.

The construction and arrangement of parts as above set forth, enablesthe pendant 26 to move through the guide opening 22 in the shackle,during the turning or swinging movements of the ship, without entailingany movement of the anchor, due not only to the provision of the convexfront wall of said opening, but also to the ability of the shackle bothto swing or rock vertically about its trunnions 19 and to turnhorizontally with the ring 18 about the bolt 16 as an axis, (duringAwhich time it rides, or may ride on the headplate 14:), or, in otherwords due to its virtual gimbal mounting with relation to said bolt, sothat the drag upon the anchor is equalized on both sides thereof.

The uniform distribution of the pull on the sections 26 and 26 of theoperating clement takes place in the shackle; while the formation of theanchor with its projecting dihedral flukes causes said anchor to veryeffectively oppose any pulls'or strains exerted by the operating elementand which would tend to turn it in its bed, since the surfaces of saidiukes will always remain in the same direction with relation to theresultantof the pull exerted by the endless operating element, so thatthere will be permanently an equilibrium in the opposition of the saidsurfaces on the right and on the left of the plane of pull when theanchor is in an upright position, which position it will tend toautomatically assume, due to the shape and to the extreme proximity ofits center of gravity to its base, in case it lands in an inclinedposition upon a hard, impenetrable bottom. For the same reasons, itfollows that whatever be the direction of the plane of the resultantrelative to the pull, the said resultant will always act at an angle ofabout 270O and on three faces of the flukes out of four, thereby givingan opposition surface, in addition to its uniformly distributed weight.The anchor, whether standing' upright or lying horizontally on a rockybottom, will be caught and stopped by a projecting rock or the like, asin the case of ordinary anchors, by their 'own weight, and moreparticularly by that of the chain or other operating element which maybe tive and even six times as great as that of the anchor. Theelasticity of weight of the operating element produces a slow, gradualpull, without jerks or shocks, which are so injurious to the ordinarychains, and consequently sudden pulls and recoils will be suppressed. Asingle anchor anchored by an endless cable will keep the ship anchoredbetter than four anchors used in the ordinary manner. Finally, theprovision of dihedral flukes obviates all danger of the chains catchingon and becoming entangled with the iukes, the head-plate 14 preventingthe shackle from dropping between lthe flukes.

I claim as my `invention 1. A sheet anchor connected to a ship by Vanendless, iiexible operating element, `comprising asubstantiallyfrusto-conical body having upper and lower axial recessesopening `through its top and bottom faces, with a separating ballastingweb between them, the perimetric surface of said body being providedwith spaced, vertical flukes in the form of laterally -projectingdihedral angles; a filling plug secured in the upperk recess, said plugand web having longitudinal air vents extending therethrough; a bolt"securd in said plug .and provided adjacent its upper end with an annularshoulder; a collar loosely mounted on the upper end of said bolt andresting on said shoulder, said collar having a pair ofoppositely-located trunnions; a shackle having a formed portionstraddling said collar and pivoted on said trunnions, and a solid stemportion formed with a transverse guide opening for the passage of saidendless, operating element therethrough; and means for holding saidcollar on said bolt. v

2. A sheet anchor connected to a ship by an endless, flexible operatingelement, comprising a substantially frusto-conical body A having upperand lower axial recesses opening through its top and bottom faces, witha separating ballasting web between them; and a filling plug secured inthe upper recess, said -plug and web being provided with registeringpassages which unite in forming longitudinal air vents opening at theirbottoms into the lower recess, and at their tops through the top of saidbody.

3. A sheet anchor, connected to a ship by an endless, flexible operatingelement, comprisinga substantially frusto-conical body having itsperimetric surface provided with spaced, vertical flukes in the form oflaterally-proj ecting dihedral angles which extend from top to bottom ofsaid surface. Y

A. A sheet anchor, connected to a ship by an endless, flexible operatingelement, comprising a substantially frusto-conical body having itsperimetric surface provided with spaced, vertical fiukes in the form oflaterally-projecting dihedral angles .which extend from top to bottom ofsaid surface, andV which gradually increase in width in the samedirection. 4

5. A sheet anchor connected to a ship by an endless, flexible operatingelement, comprising a substantially frusto-conical body having itsperimetric surface provided with spaced, vertical flukes in the form oflaterally-projecting dihedral angles which extend from top to bottom ofsaid surface; a'lug cast at the bottom of the space between each pair ofadjacent flukes; and an upwardlyopening valve pivoted at the bottom ofeach said space and normally resting upon the respective lug.

6. A sheet anchor connected to a ship by anendless, flexible operatingelement,com

.provided with a pair of diametrically-opposite trunnions; a shacklehaving a forked portion straddling said collarfand pivoted on saidtrunnions, and a solid stem portion formed with a transverse guideopening for the passage of said endless operating element therethrough;and means for holding said collar on said bolt.

7. A sheet anchor, connected to a shipl by an endless, flexibleoperating element, comprising a substantially frusto-conical body havingupper and lower axial recesses opening through its top and bottom faces,with a separating ballasting web between them, a filling plug secured inthe upper recess; a bolt embedded in said plug and having its upper endprojecting above the same; a collar loosely mounted on said bolt end andprovided with a pair of diametrically-opposite trunnions; a shacklehaving a forked portion straddling said collar and pivoted on saidtrunnions, and a solid stem portion formed with a transverse guideopening for the passage of said endless operating element therethrough;and means for holding from top to bottom of said surface; and a circularhead-plate mounted on the upper faces of said body and its lukes andcovering the tops of the spaces between the latter.

9. A sheet anchorconnected to a ship by an endless, flexible operatingelement, comprising a substantially frusto-conical body having itsperimetric surface provided with spaced, vertical flukes in the. form oflaterally-proj ecting dihedral angles which extend from top to bottom ofsaid surface; a, circular head-plate mountedon the upper faces of saidbody and its flukes and covering the spaces between the latter; a boltembedded in said body and having its upper end projecting through andabove said head-plate; and a shackle having a gimbal connection withsaid boltv end to swing or rock in both vertical and horizontal planes;said shackle being adapted to rest on said head-plate and to ride alongthe same during its horizontal swinging movements, and having atransverse guide opening for the passage of said endless operatingelement therethrough.

10. A sheet anchor connected to a ship by an endless, flexible operatingelement, comprising a substantially frusto-conical body having itsperimetrie'surface provided with In testimony whereof I have signed thisspaced, vertical fiukes in the form of lateispeeiiioation in thepresence of tWo subscribe 10 ally-projecting dihedral angles Whichextend ing Witnesses.

:troni topto bottom of said surface; and a LOUIS VICTOR WILLIAM FROGERshackle pivotally connected to said body and havingal transverse openingformed through Vitnesses:

its stem for the passage of said endless oper- JULES ToUssET,

ating element therethrough. CHARLES LoN LoisEL.

Copies of .this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

